What is Mobile First?

In fact, “Mobile First” is a thought used in web design of websites. It is optimized version for mobile devices. By this way, people can use websites on smartphone instead of using desktop or large screen devices.

Background

Actually “Mobile First” is a kind of strategy or design. It has a several approach, precisely from the starting of all deliberations. Movements like responsive design pick up on these thoughts.

The principle

About all websites are generally designed for desktops or laptops.  Specific design elements in the CSS are controlled by Media Queries in such a way that the website show adapts to browser size by scaling. This averts the user from having zoomed in on smartphone display while viewing. It also prevents elements of the page from being accidentally cut off in mobile display.

Single problem of the responsive design was that several pages on the smartphone were exhibited in "infinite mode”. That means the user had to scroll limitlessly to get top-bottom of a page. To get rid from it you can shorten your text and remove graphics and pictures from the mobile design.

Thus the concept of a website is limited to the elementary and vital. Simply that which is essential is programmed and set up to exploit functionality on all devices. This throws no scope for large images or functions. All these elements are arranged for smartphone.

Source code is similarly reduced. Convinced functions such as JavaScript are not at all times taking in mobile first. But the site can be directly programmed by itself in HTML5.

The advantages

By following mobile first strategy, you will benefit in many ways. A website with a desktop version can benefit from mobile first, as it is not only a design approach - it is also a content-based approach. Only the most vital content is used there. The site later expand is still possible without any problems.

Additionally, Webpage which is optimized for mobile devices can be more easily added to new developments, since it’s configuration is much new than a simple programmed website.

Limitation of mobile first

Critics trust that the perception of a website is very limited by the mobile-first-principle. Though several pages are currently optimized for mobile user, on desktop the user experience could also suffer since the usability could be pointlessly uncomplicated.

Google, Mobile First and SEO

Google has already announced that over half of the pages exposed in search results universally are from Google indexing that content using mobile-first indexing system. So, that it is more probable that the pages you visit from a Google search are based on how Google crawled and indexed that content based on mobile version of that page.

What is mobile-first indexing? 

Mobile-first indexing is just how Google crawls and indexes the web. Google gives priority to mobile version of the page instead of desktop version.

You can also acquire knowledge more from this Google help document.

Recommendation:

Google will classically alert you while your site has proceeded to mobile-first indexing within Google Search Console. Therefore, regular check your messages in the Google Search Console. According to Google’s instruction you need to pay devotion to your structured data and alt-text for images on mobile pages with this modification.